BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
  
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

RECORD WIND GUST FOR OCTOBER 7

Yesterday's peak gust of 54 MPH surpassed the 
previous record for the date of 52 MPH from 
the ESE which occurred in 1972.  Two separate 
gusts reached 54 MPH yesterday, both from the
west, occurring at 4:05 P.M. and 9:05 P.M. EDT.

The wind continues today, but has only reached 
43 MPH, a gust from the west at 9:35 A.M. EDT.


Today's observations:

7 A.M. 
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus and stratocumulus
lenticularis all quadrants
Temperature: 51F, Dew point: 40F, Wind: WNW at 15G29 kts,
Wind: Peak wind 33 kts from WNW at 6:24 A.M.  
Wind: Direction variable WSW to NNW
Sea-level pressure: 29.87 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 55 miles
6-hour minimum temp: 48F
24-hourly precip: 0.46 inch 
BHO SA 1155 CLR 55 114/51/40/2915G29/987/ 
FEW SC/SCSL ALQDS PK WND 2933/24 WND 24V33/ 
8/500 53030 MANUAL 70046 ASOS 70049 10051 20048

10 A.M. 
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus
Temperature: 56F, Dew point: 39F, Wind: WSW at 18G30 kts
Wind: Peak wind 31 kts W at 9:42 A.M.
Wind: direction variable SW to N
Sea-level pressure: 29.92 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 70 miles
BHO SA 1455 45 SCT 70 132/56/39/2918G30/992/ 
PK WND 2731/42/ WND 22V35/ 8/500 51018

1 P.M.    
Weather: Thin overcast cirrus, few stratocumulus
all quadrants, breaks in overcast N-ESE
Temperature: 60F, Dew point: 41F, Wind: WNW at 15G23 kts,
Wind: Peak wind 28 kts W at 12:28 P.M.  
Wind: direction variable SW to NNW
Sea-level pressure: 29.93 inches Hg, rising 
Visibility: 75 miles  
6-hour maximum temp: 60F
BHO SA 1755 250 –OVC 75 135/60/41/2915G23/993/ 
FEW SC ALQDS PK WND 2828/26 WND 23V33/ 
8/507 50003 10060 20051

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....67    NORMAL.....64
MIN.....51    NORMAL.....46
MEAN....59    NORMAL.....55

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR AVERAGE...........+4
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH............-2 [-0.5 DEGREES/DAY] 

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............6  DEPARTURE.......-5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............67  DEPARTURE.......-1
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........224  DEPARTURE......-13
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....200  DIFFERENCE.....+24

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............54 W   AT  8:05 P.M. *
                   AEROVANE..............52 W   AT  8:05 P.M. *
                   ASOS..................53 W   AT  3:06 P.M.    
                   DAVIS.................56 W   AT  3:05 P.M.      
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...............42 W   AT  8:05 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............39 W   AT  3:07 P.M.         
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........41 W   AT  3:07 P.M.        
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.......20.4 W
                   ASOS................19.2
                   DAVIS...............18.7 SW  [227 DEG]
* last of several occurrences

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.46   DEPARTURE....+0.32
                         ASOS..............0.49
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR MONTH..............1.80   DEPARTURE....+0.82
                         ASOS..............1.83
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........39.68   DEPARTURE....+1.10
                         ASOS.............40.89

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 2009 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust when significant
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
 
10/1 56/39/48/-9/0/155/22     27 WSW  AERO 23 MPH WSW
10/2 60/40/50/-6/0/442/63     23 SSE  
10/3 63/51/57/+1/1.10/000/00  32 ESE  AERO 30 MPH ESE  
10/4 67/57/62/+6/0/202/29     21 WSW 
10/5 64/49/57/+2/0/595/86     33 W    AERO 31 MPH W 
10/6 65/45/55/0/0/628/91      25 W
10/7 67/51/59/+4/0.70/344/50  54 W    AERO 54 MPH W

10/8 our morning low temp: 48F; the normal low is now 45F

NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 2009
10/7: NEW RECORD WIND GUST 54 MPH W AT 2005E;
      surpasses previous record of 52 MPH ESE in 1972
  
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):

RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 8
HIGH 81 IN 1916,1990
LOW 28 IN 1919
PRECIP 2.31 INCHES IN 1891
SNOWFALL TRACE IN 1988, 2001 (EARLIEST DATE)
PEAK GUST 60 MPH NE IN 1996

RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 9
HIGH 81 IN 1909
LOW 29 IN 1907,1937
PRECIP 2.54 INCHES IN 1976
SNOWFALL 0.2 INCHES IN 1888
PEAK GUST 81e MPH S IN 1976 (RECORD FOR MONTH)

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Stephanie Radner